


Inside this Racing Mind

by FrostedHolly



Category: Naruto
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Fluff, I think?, M/M, One Shot, kidomaru is lost, kimimaro is trying, sad ending or good ending it depends on who you ask
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:07:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28331358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrostedHolly/pseuds/FrostedHolly
Summary: While on a mission, the Sound Five take a short break to recuperate.Kidomaru and Kimimaro enjoy each other’s company in a tree over one hundred feet above ground.
Relationships: Kimimaro/Kidomaru
Kudos: 2





	Inside this Racing Mind

**Author's Note:**

> uh i was listening to stella brown, which is what inspired this one. it’s such a good song omg. 
> 
> if you’ve ever heard of rarepairs, then kimikido is on a whole new level. theres like 3 fics total with this pairing on this site its honestly quite tragic so im here to change that. 🧍♀️
> 
> to clarify the timeline, this takes place before kimimaro is hospitalized by kabuto, not after. by this point though, everyone is well aware that his physical health is undoubtedly declining.

When Lord Orochimaru sends the Sound Five out on a mission, they rarely ever take any downtime. 

In Kidomaru’s opinion, this is a good thing. Not taking breaks means they’re staying focused on their given task, which shortens the amount of time it takes them to complete a mission. This is vital, because Orochimaru is rather impatient, and none of them like to keep him waiting any longer than absolutely necessary. Another reason is because no matter how much he enjoys taking a load off, Kidomaru would much rather be enjoying himself on the mission. He’s as easily entertained as he is bored. 

Tayuya doesn’t seem to share this opinion, though, because she’s the one whose got them stopped in the first place. She was injured before they even left the hideout last night, but she’d insisted on coming with them regardless. Kimimaro had allowed it, but clearly did so against his better judgement, because she’s been bratty about it ever since they left. The pain serves her right, but Kidomaru is not at all satisfied by her suffering if _this_ is the price to be paid. 

When Kimimaro had them all stop so Sakon could take a look at Tayuya, he’d instructed Jirobo to keep watch ahead of them, and Kidomaru was to scout the rear. They’d both done so without question, but even Jirobo had been complaining about Tayuya as they did as told. Kidomaru had found himself a sturdy branch to perch himself on, and he’s been there swinging his legs ever since. After about five minutes, Kimimaro had come to join him with all the grace of a dancer, speaking about better company and a lack of patience. 

Kidomaru thought about going on ahead and leaving the others to catch up at one point, but had decided against it due to the fact that this mission is an infiltration, and he’s pretty useless at these without the others there with him. Besides— there’s something else keeping him here, sitting in this tree, and it makes his abdomen buzz.

The buzzing feeling, however pleasant, doesn’t distract from the sucking boredom that’s taking the reigns in his head. So he turns to look at Kimimaro, who’s currently observing the rustling leaves and chirping birds around them. It’s peaceful, and he doesn’t want to interrupt the tranquility, but that’s what audacity’s for, “you wanna swing?”

It takes Kimimaro just a short second to turn and point his lime-colored irises as Kidomaru, and it seems as if he’s been waiting for their silence to be broken as he asks, “a swing?”

Then, Kidomaru remembers the stories Orochimaru told him a few times before— of a clan born for savagery, and a terrified patriarch locking a small boy away because he possessed their thought to be bred out kekkei genkai. Kimimaro spent a vast majority of his childhood damned to a cell, despite his truly gentle nature. Of course he doesn’t know what a swing is.

Kidomaru gathers saliva in his mouth, chews it like putty as he infuses his chakra with it, and expels it with a push of his tongue and a pull of his hand. He stretches it until it’s like a rope, and bites it free to repeat the process to make another. He then chews a thicker paste, spitting it to harden it like rubber, and uses it to connect the ropes and fasten the sticky top end to the healthy tree branch they’re sitting on. He nudges Kimimaro to stand and move as he makes another one and hangs it there. He proceeds by climbing down to sit on one of the makeshift swings. “Sit, and I’ll show you how to ride one.”

Kimimaro follows to do as instructed, first fitting one foot on the seat as he stands before kneeling to sit, pulling his leg out from under him. He grips the rope tight, looking to Kidomaru for further clues. Kidomaru begins to kick his feet slowly, gaining momentum as time goes by. His leader does the same, struggling with the timing of his legs, but after some guidance, he goes steady. 

They swing in silence for a little while, watching the ground over a hundred feet below them go up and down in time with their rocking. Kidomaru observes his older teammate swinging for the first time, the wind tossing shoulder-length silver hair forward and back, and he thinks that Kimimaro looks at peace here. He tears his eyes away eventually, and more time ticks away in silence and rattling leaves. 

“Is something troubling you?” 

Kidomaru looks up and over, meeting Kimimaro’s eyes with his brows raised. He realizes they’ve both stopped swinging by this point, and the only thing that moves them is the breeze. He lowers his brows to conceal his surprise and shifts his hands on the rope, “how can you tell?”

“You’re oddly silent,” Kimimaro points out, tone as gentle as the setting sun and rising, twinkling stars. “It’s not like you to be so quiet.” 

Kidomaru hums, not knowing exactly how to respond to that, and searches an unusually empty mind for the answer. “Yeah, something’s been on my mind for a while, but it’s really not important.” 

“The drawback of having such a magnificent mind?” 

It surprises him, how quick the heat rushes to his cheeks at the poorly veiled compliment. As he opens his mouth to speak, he feels a part of himself begin to run thin, “definitely.” 

And Kidomaru thinks of sweet, gentle kisses on cheeks. Of struggling to decide which hand to hold bony fingers with, and of innocent little explorative touches that linger after they’ve stopped. He thinks of becoming bold, cuddling in bed after sneaking into a dark bedroom after Lord Orochimaru has departed Sound for the night. He sighs at the thought.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Even Kimimaro’s voice does him no real justice. His face is linear, well-sculpted under pale moonlight skin and his vermilion face markings are nothing short of brilliant this time of day. Brilliant, grown from a clan that did wrong by him. 

Then, he sees shining emerald eyes growing dull, and strong bones becoming brittle. Life withering away in declining health, just barely kept together by nothing but the work of metal and plastic machines. He kicks, beginning to swing again, and here, there is no doubt in his mind, “no, it’s all good. I’ll be over it and onto the next thing by tomorrow.” 

As vivid green eyes bore into his own from his side and delicate, unique eyebrows pinch just the tiniest bit on such a _beautiful_ face, Kidomaru thinks he’s never told a lie more painful in his life.

**Author's Note:**

> i wanted to leave the ending open to interpretation. does kidomaru keep his feelings to himself to avoid a world of emotional pain or does he decide to pursue it despite kimimaros very obvious declining physical health? its entirely up to you 🥰
> 
> i hope you enjoyed! kudos and a comment are both well appreciated ❤️🌸


End file.
